A longtime favorite in our family of broccoli enthusiasts, this soup gets a thick, creamy base from pureed white beans or tofu. The addition of green peas at the end of cooking time brightens the color and heightens the flavor of the soup. This is great served with many kinds of wraps or sandwiches. Recipe from Plant Power: Transform Your Kitchen, Plate, and Life with More Than 150 Fresh and Flavorful Vegan Recipes by Nava Atlas. ©2014, published by HarperOne, reprinted by permission. Photos by Hannah Kaminsky.
Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup
A longtime favorite in our family of broccoli enthusiasts, this soup gets a thick, creamy base from pureed white beans or tofu.
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Servings: 6
Calories: 146kcal
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or 3 tablespoons vegetable broth or water
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic minced (optional)
- 32- ounce carton low-sodium vegetable broth or 4 cups plus 2 vegetable bouillon cubes
- 5 to 6 cups coarsely chopped broccoli florets and peeled stems
- 2 cups frozen green peas thawed
- One 15- to 16-ounce can great northern beans or cannellini drained and rinsed, or one 12.3-ounce package firm silken tofu
- 1 cup unsweetened rice milk or other unsweetened nondairy milk plus more as needed
To finish the soup
- 2 cups finely chopped broccoli florets
- ½ cup chopped fresh dill or parsley or a combination, plus more for garnish
- Juice of ½ lemon or 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice, or to taste
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil, broth, or water in a soup pot and add the onion. Sauté over medium heat until translucent, then add the garlic if desired. Continue to sauté until the onion is golden.
- Add the broth and broccoli. Bring to a simmer, then cover and simmer gently until the broccoli is tender but not overcooked, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add the beans or tofu and half the green peas. Continue to cook just until everything is nicely heated through.
- The easiest way to puree this soup is to simply insert an immersion blender into the pot and puree until it’s as smooth as you’d like it to be. You can also leave it a bit chunky. If you don’t have an immersion blender, transfer the mixture to a regular blender and puree (don’t overprocess!), then transfer back to the soup pot. Add enough nondairy milk to give the soup a medium-thick consistency.
- To finish the soup, add the remaining green peas, the finely chopped broccoli florets, the chopped herbs, and the lemon juice. Stir together, then season with salt and pepper.
- Cook over very low heat for 5 minutes longer, or until the finely chopped broccoli florets are tender-crisp, then serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 146kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 56mg | Potassium: 513mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1334IU | Vitamin C: 119mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 2mg
Vegan-ize any recipe!Grab our free vegan cheat sheet, packed with my favorite easy substitutions to make any recipe vegan.
Nutrition information
Per serving: Calories: 262; Total fat: 5g; Protein: 12g; Carbs: 44g; Fiber: 13g; Sodium: 302mg
- Here for more broccoli and cauliflower recipes.
- Explore other delicious vegan soup recipes here at Soulful Soups.
Crystall says
Could you make this ahead and freeze it??
Nava says
Crystall, I've never had occasion to freeze this, as it always gets eaten so fast, but it has the kind of ingredients that would freeze well. Hope it works for you!
Holly Pasko says
I made this tonight and it was very easy, came together very quickly & is the BEST broccoli soup I have ever had!
I made it with tofu.
Nava says
Thanks, Holly! So glad you enjoyed it.
monika says
I am just cooking this, can't wait to try it. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Nava says
I hope you enjoyed it, Monika!
Lori Golka says
I made this for dinner last night with the white beans option. The best I have ever had!
Jen says
Is the recipe for the wrap posted? If so, what's it called? It look so good!! Thanks.
Nava says
Hi Jen, this wrap happens to be posted: http://www.vegkitchen.com/recipes/everyday-meals/sandwiches-and-wraps/hummus-wraps-with-grains-and-greens/ Thanks for asking!
Nava says
Thanks, Lori; so glad you enjoyed it!
lena says
hi! I've been looking for a vegan cream of broccoli soup!! how would you make it in the vitamix???/thanks!!!
Nava says
Lena, you can just follow the direction in paragraph 3, where it says "If you don’t have an immersion blender, transfer the mixture to a regular blender and puree (don’t overprocess!), then transfer back to the soup pot." You can do this in your Vitamix, and just make sure not to overdo it. It should work well, though!
Cay says
I so want to start eating plant based again!Fell off the wagon and want to get on again! This looks delicious! Could I use frozen broccoli if I don't have fresh? I'm going to print off a bunch of your recipes! 🙂
Nava says
Hi Cay — sure, use frozen broccoli if that's what you have on hand. Enjoy!
Julie says
I made this tonight with a couple of variations. I added a container of sliced portabella mushrooms with the onion sauté and we didn't have peas so I used lima beans. It was absolutely fantastic! First "cream" soup recipe I've come across that was as good or better than the dairy version--and this had no cheese either! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Nava says
Glad you enjoyed this, Julie, and I love your tweaks!